For those of us who moved to the Okanagan to escape endless winter, these colder months can stir up a lot of dread.
It can leave us in a motivational hibernation that makes it tempting to join the bears for the real thing. The feeling weighs on me like wet snow on a pine’s bough.
I wish to endure none of it: the listless skies, endless night, bare trees, monochrome, numb toes, frozen nose, or the horror of simultaneously shivering and overheating while being suffocated in a layered bundle of immobility.
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In warmer months, you can find me outside, reveling in nature’s gifts – soft moss beneath my feet, foraging for mushrooms, berries and plants, and taking pictures along the way.
Nature is a source of endless awe, solace, and rejuvenation. But my dread of winter and all it brings has gotten me thinking – what might these months be able to teach me? What can their time offer?
Self-reflection. Meditation can help us notice where we hold tension in our body, or the narratives we tell ourselves that may be harmful or untrue, and it equips us with the tools that show us how and where we can make small changes. Focusing inward allows us to realign with our values and recognize what brings us joy and what may not.
Reflect outward. For those of us reluctant to leave our homes in subzero temperatures, the space we spend most of our time in matters. Numerous psychologies and philosophies recognize the correlation between physical space and mental state: Hygge, Feng Shui, Lagom, etc. Whether it be decluttering or rearranging, winter may be a good time to focus on creating a space that instills peace, joy, and comfort.
Creative rest. There are many hobbies and projects I want to undertake but feel I don’t have time during warmer months. By getting involved in activities that bring joy, we create opportunities for ourselves to focus on gratitude and joy during a season that can be a struggle.
This autumn’s mushroom season proved quite barren. The rain never came, leaving many eager foragers with disappointment and empty baskets. But one forager’s words have stuck with me since: “If every season was bountiful, and every forage a success, would a bountiful crop feel as special, a rare find as precious?” There is a joy in the pursuit, in the anticipation of not knowing the outcome, in leaving the woods empty-handed four times only to happen on a plentiful patch the fifth.
I am trying to extend this mentality to winter. Life, seasons – it is all about balance – experiencing the ebbs and flows that counter and complement.
Spring would not delight my senses with the promise of new life had the world not just been dormant. Each season holds value. And so, what can winter offer that other seasons cannot? The natural world, frozen and blanketed, becomes still and focuses inward, storing nutrients and saving energy.
Perhaps winter offers a space for us to do the same –— a time for self-reflection, stillness and rest.
Take a look at our library display this week for ways to prepare your mind, body, and home for winter.
Stephanie Miller is an assistant community librarian at the Summerland branch of the Okanagan Regional Library.
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